W. Brett Wilson

With as much energy as the city he calls home (Calgary), W. Brett Wilson never gets tired of bankrolling the right deal. A gutsy negotiator with a surprising eye for detail, this big city player with small town charm helped turn a maverick startup into the energy industry's leading investment bank, brokering thousands of financing and M&A (mergers and acquisitions) deals worth over $150 billion.

After being told by his first employer that he wasn't management material, Brett proved the doubters wrong, and translated his instincts for investing in the right people into major stakes in the energy, agriculture, real estate, sports and entertainment industries.

A life force all his own, with an enviable network of influential friends and business colleagues, Brett spends almost as much time giving money away as he does earning it. Growing up on the Saskatchewan prairie with a mother who did social work and a father who sold cars, Brett became what some would describe as a rare combination: a capitalist with a heart. Touched by his parents' commitment to give back to their own community, Brett promised to do the same - on a slightly bigger scale. Known for his flair for throwing a great party in support of a great cause, Brett's is also one of Canada's most successful philanthropists, having given - and engaged others to give - tens of millions to nonprofit initiatives.

After surviving an advanced case of prostate cancer in his early forties, Brett slowed down his round-the-clock lifestyle to spend more time on his most passionate priorities: his family and friends, including traveling the world with his three greatest assets, his three young adult children.

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